Happy Father's Day 2010! From G2G :)

Happy Father's Day 2010! From G2G :)

 

Today I read this article on MSN called "10 things my father was right about."

 

In honor of Father's Day and that article, here are some things that I remember from growing up:

 

1) Camping with him--building a tent, cooking on a fire, using the **gasp** woods -- as a bathroom...

 

2) The time dad tried to teach me how to use measuring cups (like 1/8 cup is half of 1/4 cup, etc.) and I ran away crying because it didn't make sense (I think I was 5 or 6 at the time)

 

3) The time I picked flowers in the backyard and brought them inside to give my dad, and he wasted no time in giving the harsh truth: "Shannon, guys don't like getting flowers."

4) Dad was the one I always woke up when I saw a spider or cricket in my room- he promptly killed it with a shoe

 

5) The time I almost got mugged on Halloween--I came home and my Dad went looking for the crazy teenagers, and scared them off for me

 

6) My dad almost always washed the dishes- even when I should have been washing after myself

 

7) Dad's weird Russian hat with the ear flaps

 

8) The occasional "cuss word" :) hehe

 

9) When I told my dad how much I hated my summer job one year, he said "well, at least they're paying you!" (err thanks for the silver lining...though I don't think you should take a job that makes you miserable--at least not permanently)

 

10) Last month I was at home and my dad asked about my post-graduation plans, and whether or not I was dating a nice Christian boy. 

I said "Dad, I just want a guy who treats me really well.  I'm not going to settle.  I mean, I just want him to try, you know? I want him to make an effort for me.  Oh, and I want him to be really really smart. Brilliant." 

He smiled and responded "Are you sure about that?"

and then followed with an interesting, possibly backhanded piece of advice-- "Ok, just be sure you're the type of girl that he would want to pursue."
"Ok Dad." **smiles**

 

With love to all dads!

 

xo,

Shannon  

 

 

 

Exactly How Real is a 'Real Person'? Fakeness and Perfection

I was going through old handwritten letters--I find it hard to throw these away-- and this piece of Mariana's letter to me from a year ago struck me as interesting:

I just started this book on Pop Culture (Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs- Chuck Klosterman)

and came across some interesting lines...

1) Real people are actively trying to live like fake people, so real people are no less fake

(...the first part is def true...hoping for the perfect romantic relationship, ideal guy & life, like in all those movies. Comparing our problems to the media..."That's just like on that episode of Sex & the City!"/Movie XYZ,etc...)

...

Are we really trying to live like fake people?

After all, fake people seem to be just exaggerated dramatizations of real people, which is why they catch on and have fans. Because they're interesting and catchy, not like "real people" which are boring because they appear to be stuck in routines, right? 

Since I am a "real person," does that mean that I, too, am trying to be fake?

I try to make my life interesting by trying new things and learning all the time, and of course I want things to be perfect and happy, but life is really about the journey, so you just have to enjoy it as it comes, right?

Hoping for things to get better is important because you should never settle.

I would agree that many movies and TV shows are "fake" in the sense that they are so "clichè" and contain characters that will never exist, but if they're things that we aspire to have and be, then I guess trying to be 'fake' isn't so bad after all. 

What does this have to do with relationship advice?

Fake-schmake. 

If you are hoping for the 'perfect relationship,' I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

Just keep in mind that "perfect" doesn't always mean that every second of every day is happy-- it's ok to have highs and lows, because that makes things interesting, and if things were always happy, you would get bored or take it for granted...and therefore "real" because you're stuck in an un-interesting routine.

Cheers to 2010 fakeness.

xo,

Shannon

The Style Blogger!

The Style Blogger!

 

Hi everyone,

  One of my friends recently told me about theStyleblogger.com

 

That is one well-dressed man. 

 

Check it out!

xo,
Shannon
 

Bored of the Flies? A Look at Other Types of Pants...

Note: I chose this topic because I thought of the o-so-witty title first...
Content removed by author due to randomness/stretched concept...

xo,

Shannon

Guys and Malls: Why Guys' Clothes are Usually on the Right, or in the Front...

People talk about how much women love shopping. It's just stereotypically one of our gender's favorite places.



As for men-some like it, some hate it. But just as women receive tips on "places to meet men," men have figured (correctly) that shopping malls are places where there are lots of women.

Unfortunately, guys also don't like approaching women in groups, and we tend to shop with friends.
But for the guys who go shopping with girls, it's interesting to note how clothes stores are designed.
From AskMen.com "Why do Men Hate Shopping?" by Austin Silver:
Apparently, professionals have taken time out to set up stores for men and women in strategic ways, so that guys are encouraged to look around and buy clothes for themselves. How, you ask? Well, more often than not, men's clothing can usually be found on the right-hand side of the store because people (men and women) typically look towards the right upon entering.


As well, if it's a front-to-back setup, guys' items will always be found in the front (or on the main floor if there's more than one) because women have no problem venturing through men's clothing to get to their own, but guys usually will not make the effort.

Also, "guys go shopping with the intent of purchasing specific items whereas women will usually roam around until something catches their eye"-for us, we make shopping more of a journey, whereas the guy usually knows what he likes.
"Retail Therapy": shopping with the primary purpose of improving the buyer's mood or disposition. Often seen in people during periods of depression or transition, it is normally a short-lived habit. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are sometimes referred to as "comfort buys".


Speaking for myself, I happen to know the "story" behind almost every piece of clothing I own. What I bought it for, when, designer, etc...whereas guys (usually) have no idea, or maybe a ballpark estimate.


xo,
Shannon
Article Link: http://www.askmen.com/daily/austin/44_fashion_style.html
Also "Men Shop Too: How to Market to Men" by Bob Deutsch
Takeaways: 4 fundamental differences and their impact on marketing -
Time, Causality, Space, Other People
http://www.reachingwomendaily.com/2010/04/22/men-shop-too-how-to-market-to-men/

From GQ Style: How to Buy a Watch

Interesting. As a girl who does not wear one, I was pretty impressed. This article is a couple years old, but I like it.
http://www.gq.com/how-to/fashion/200704/gq-guide-buy-a-watch-slideshow#slide=1

5 Key Terms they Mention:

1. Complication
Any function of a watch that goes beyond simple timekeeping. Could be an annual or lunar calendar, could be something as basic as a stopwatch.

2. Movement
All those bits and pieces inside that run the thing.

3. Quartz
A movement powered by a battery and regulated by the oscillations of a quartz crystal. It’s way more accurate than other watch types—which isn’t to say we necessarily recommend you buy one.

4. Self-winding
A type of mechanical watch, containing a rotor on a pivot, that’s wound by the day-to-day movements of the wearer’s wrist. It’s also referred to as automatic.

5. Water-resistant
Just because a watch says it’s water-resistant doesn’t mean you should swim or shower with it on. To be safe, only do so if it’s water-resistant up to one hundred meters.

Steve McQueen wore this one in his film Le Mans!

Happy memorial day everyone!
xo,

Shannon

College Hookup Culture, the Social Beginnings of the I-Banker, and Girl-Advice Pt 2.

I feel as if there’s a general negative opinion regarding the investment banker—they’re considered untrustworthy, womanizing, shallow users who will sell their grandparents for a buck (or less than that, if they can procure some kind of monthly interest payment-deal that yields a higher overall NPV…).



Well, whether that’s true or not, I think we can observe the Wharton social state and get some explanation for some of this—after all, a healthy number of NYC’s bankers come straight out of UPenn, my alma mater (since May 16th!).



As many people know, it’s quite competitive—you have classes where you evaluate your group members, and those evals feed directly into your final grade. "Survivor Whartonia" anyone?
For much of the Wharton core, whether or not you get an ‘A’ depends on whether you are part of the top 25 percent among your classmates. They say there’s no “Wharton curve,” but that’s generally how it works. Healthy competition is good for business though, right?


But what about developing our social skills—friendships, relationships, etc.? Is there a class that will teach us how to be friendly and polite, or is that assumed to be common knowledge for most?

Unfortunately, these days, the important social graces are being ignored and pushed to the wayside as texting, IM, and Tweeting change the way we get in touch, meet, and network. And while that may be ok most of the time, there are occasions when knowing what to say and how to act, in person, can make a big difference. While you may be tempted to simply text or email someone, you may find that actually calling or making the effort to meet with someone in person can seriously pay off. Time is, IMUPO, an appreciating currency that can yield a profitable dividend, if you allocate it correctly.



So what does this have to do with relationships?



The issue we see more often these days is that men (and women) are accustomed to the type of "instant gratification," "quick answer" via text, email, Tweet, etc.--to the extent that people are getting into things faster than ever before, and not really thinking them through or getting to know someone in person.


Which is where the frat party hookups come into the picture--guys host their fratitats (frat-habitats, whether it's a house, apt, condo, etc) w/beer and music, and have girls come to them. Then blah blah, drink drink, blah drink, hookup, etc.


The girl can say “I don’t normally do this”-which is code for “don’t think me slutty or easy because of this particular hookup,” but the effect (or lack of) is the same. You got what you wanted, he got what he wanted, everyone's happy. Just don't expect him to call you, or even ask for your number. He may try to find you on facebook--if he remembers your name.


Lesson: Be more reality than surreality, more 'I am' than IM, and more face-time than Facebook time.


xo,

Shannon